Bristol House
by Beverly Swerling
Narrated by Kristen Sieh, James Langton and Kristen Colson,
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: April 4, 2013
Format: Audio, 13 hours | 3 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid historical fiction. Beverly Swerling, widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, delivers a bewitching and epic story of a historian and a monk, half a millennium apart, whose destinies are on a collision course.
My Thoughts:
Annie Kendall has begun a three month research project in London to locate long missing artifacts for Shalom Foundation. Days into her research she meets Geoff Harris, an investigative reporter, and discovers the flat she is subletting is haunted by a ghost that appears to be trying to contact her to warn her about something. The story moves back and forth between Annie in the present and 1535 Tudor London where Dom Justin, Carthusian Monk, narrates an intertwining tale.
Within days Annie feels an attraction to Geoff and finds the feeling are mutual. The romance was handled well with just enough detail to keep the reader interested but not so much that it distracts from the plot or the action. Annie’s background was a little unbelievable but certainly possible. As a recovering alcoholic with serious issues, she managed to pull herself together quickly, but that served to make her a more likeable character and one I could root for.
I don’t know much about Tudor England or Carthusian Monks so I can’t comment on the historical accuracy, but the skillfully woven plot made for an interesting and compelling tale. There is a lot going on in the story and I wouldn’t say it’s an easy read, but once the characters were clear in my mind it flowed nicely and became more compelling as the suspense built.
I listened to the audio and found it moderately easy to follow the often complex plot; this is an audio that does require paying close attention. I usually prefer an ensemble cast when there are a lot of characters or shifts in time period as in this novel, and it worked well except for the actress performing the voice of Annie. Her dialog felt choppy at times and I found it difficult to get into the flow when she was speaking. When the second actress, the voice of the narrator, spoke, the rhythm returned. When we shifted to the past James Langton skillfully performed the voices of the Monk and the Jew of Holborn.
I had not listened to any of the narrators before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but overall I can recommend the audio with the few reservations mentioned above. There is an audio sample available and I recommend giving it a listen to decide for yourself.
Historical fiction fans will enjoy this book with its nice mix of history, a light romance and a suspenseful ending.
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Source: Review copy
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The April host is Mari @ MariReads
Another good week for audiobooks which will be nice for summer since I like to be out in the garden… if the warm weather ever gets here, that is.
A win from Peeking Between the Pages:
The Book of Lost Fragrances
by M.J. Rose
The Reincarnationist, Book 4. A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years. more
For review from Blackstone Audio:
Parrots Prove Deadly
by Clea Simon
When bad-girl animal psychic Pru Marlowe is called in to retrain a foulmouthed African gray after its owner’s death, she can’t help hearing the parrot’s words as a replay of a murder scene. But the doctor on call scoffs at the idea, and the heirs just want their late mother’s pet to quit cursing. The only other possible witnesses being an evasive aide, a blind neighbor, and a single-minded service dog, Pru is stuck with what may be a featherbrained theory, or is it really?
For review from Harper Audio:
Reconstructing Amelia
by Kimberly McCreight
A stunning debut novel in which a single mother reconstructs her teenaged daughter’s life, sifting through her emails, texts, and social media to piece together the shocking truth about the last days of her life. Told in alternating voices, Reconstructing Amelia is a story of secrets and lies, of love and betrayal, of trusted friends and vicious bullies. It’s about how well a parent ever really knows a child and how far one mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she could not save.
For review from Penguin Audio:
Cooked by Michael Pollan. In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements—fire, water, air, and earth—to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink.
Unintended Consequences by Stuart Woods. Stone Barrington #26. When he travels to Europe under highly unusual circumstances, Stone finds himself at the center of a mystery that is, even by his standards, most peculiar.
Safe Jouorney by Julia Cameron. A slim little volume that will provide a world of comfort and inspiration for readers as they navigate life’s journeys.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
I’ve been grumbling about our missing spring weather for a few weeks now. Last weekend it felt like spring was around the corner but that was short-lived. We’ve had a return of cold, rainy weather and near freezing temps at night. The only flowers I saw last week were a few Crocus. The perennials are just beginning to poke their heads up.
All the rain and melting snow has filled the marshy areas and the wetlands have returned.
A small group of male Mallard Ducks were floating around in the swampy area. There were no females in sight. Must have been ‘boys afternoon out’.
Today I will be out on a bird walk hoping to see some early migrants and more signs of spring.
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UPDATE: Near freezing temps, 15MPH winds and snow flurries made for a cold morning and no sign of spring, but the birds were very active in spite of the weather. They apparently believe spring is here. I saw over 40 species with the highlights being a Great-Horned Owl sitting on a nest with two chicks and a flyover by two Bald Eagles.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: He was so busy singing he didn’t mind when I stopped to take a photo.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D
by Nichole Bernier
Narrated by: Angela Brazil
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: AudioGO
Publish Date: July, 2012
Format: Audio, 10 hours | 15 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy – Intermediate
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Summer vacation on Great Rock Island was supposed to be a restorative time for Kate, who’d lost her close friend Elizabeth in a sudden accident. But when she inherits a trunk of Elizabeth’s journals, they reveal a woman far different from the cheerful wife and mother Kate thought she knew.
My Thoughts:
After Kate’s friend Elizabeth died suddenly in a plane crash, she learned that her friend had made a surprising request. Elizabeth had added a specific bequest to her will stating that Kate was to receive all her journals because she was fair and sensitive and would know what to do with them, and that they be read in order, from the beginning. Why leave them to Kate and not her husband? Kate had no choice but to read them and find out.
The journals date back to Elizabeth’s high school days. As Kate begins to read she realizes there were so many things about Elizabeth that she never knew: The secrets Elizabeth held close, the painful reasons and the realization why she acted the way she did. And the biggest question, how much do we really know about the people close to us?
As the details of Elizabeth’s life are being revealed, we also see that this is a story about Kate. While she reads the journals she reflects on her own life, her family, friends, career, and the choices she has made. She can’t help imagine herself as the one who died, what would happen to her husband, her children? The story is set in 2001 and the fears sparked by the then recent terrorist attacks are evident in her worries.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed Angela Brazil’s expressive narration. The production was easy to listen to and only required a little extra awareness of the dates when the story would switch between the present and the various journal entries. This was my first experience with Brazil’s narration and I found it very listenable and wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of her audiobooks.
Overall, the book was beautifully written, thought-provoking and had a satisfying, although bittersweet ending. It’s the kind of story that will resonate mainly with women, not that men won’t find it interesting and insightful, but the focus is on topics that more often keep women awake and worrying late into the night.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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Mailbox Monday
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The April host is Mari @ MariReads
Another busy week for the mailbox. I was happy to receive a few more audiobooks. Now that the ground has finally thawed (we still had snow and ice last week) I can begin working on the garden, and that means more audio time.
For review from Harper Audio:
Pieces of Light: How the New Science of Memory Illuminates the Stories We Tell About Our Pasts
by Charles Fernyhough
How is it possible to have vivid memories of something that never happened? How can siblings remember the same event from their childhoods so differently? Do the selections and distortions of memory reveal a truth about the self? Why are certain memories tied to specific places? Does your memory really get worse as you get older? A new consensus is emerging … more
For review from Penguin Audio:
While We Were Watching Downton Abbey
by Wendy Wax
When the concierge of The Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other…
For review from Simon & Schuster Audio:
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
by Jonah Berger
Why do certain products and ideas go viral? Dynamic young Wharton professor Jonah Berger draws on his research to explain the six steps that make products or ideas contagious.Why do some products get more word of mouth than others? Why does some online content go viral? Word of mouth makes products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. It’s more influential than advertising and far more effective.
For review from Little, Brown:
Icons
by Margaret Stohl
Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol’s family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn’t know it was fighting.
Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts — in order to save the future.
For review from Doubleday:
The Light in the Ruins
by Chris Bohjalian
Set against an exquisitely rendered Italian countryside, The Light in the Ruins unveils a breathtaking story of moral paradox, human frailty, and the mysterious ways of the heart. 1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool…more
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
Share what you read last week and what you are currently reading.
Last week
I read The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. and started Snapper in print and Bristol House in audio.
I posted two reviews:
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
Giveaway Winner:
Winner of last week’s giveaway, a copy of Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter, goes to: techeditor.
This week
Finish up Snapper and Bristol House. Next up The Backyard Bird Sanctuary and Salt, Sugar, Fat.
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
I did not run off to a tropical island (don’t I wish) and photograph parrots. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago in a Chicago suburb.
There are a number of feral colonies of Monk Parakeets, also know as Quaker Parrots, scattered across the US. These birds are not native to North America and no one is really sure how they got here. There are a lot of theories — they escaped from a zoo, a truck overturned and they flew away, they are escaped pets that banded together — but no one knows the real answer, and the birds aren’t telling.
A few weeks ago one of my bird club friends told me there was a colony of Monk Parakeets near my house, a few miles away along the prairie path. Really? And I never saw them? I had to correct that ASAP. After about a 10 minute wait a small group of them flew past me but only one was kind enough to pause briefly for a photo.
Interesting Facts: (from whatbird.com)
- Also called Quaker Parrot, feral Monk Parakeets in the U.S. were first recorded in New York in 1967.
- Although it is an invasive species, there has been little data showing a negative impact on either native species or agriculture. It is, however, often considered a nuisance as groups are very noisy and messy in foraging.
- Its large, communal nests of sticks are easily identifiable and are often built on support poles of electrical lines.
The birds I saw were near a ComEd substation and most likely their nest was on one of the electrical poles, but I didn’t see it. I’ll be going back to find the nest and if I find it I’ll post the photos.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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